In the past few years, almost everyone has become aware of the energy crisis because of the increases in price of fuel and electricity and the scarcity of such. Fuel oil alone in the past years has risen in price quite dramatically and the cost of heating a dwelling or structure has in some cases more than doubled in this period of time.
In view of this, over the past three years especially, there has been a great deal of activity in stoves and heaters of the type designed to burn wood, coal or the like. Individuals are finding now that wood, for example, is a practical source of fuel for heating a home and in many cases is more economical than other forms of fuel.
In reviewing these types of stoves, one finds that there are basically two types of designs. First, there is the freestanding stove and secondly, there is what is now being referred to as a fireplace stove insert.
With all this activity in stoves and heaters, there has been a substantial effort to provide more efficient designs. In reviewing stoves presently available, one finds that some stoves are more efficient than others and that some stoves are more suited to particular applications than others. But there is still many shortcomings and disadvantages in stoves commercially available today.
The principal shortcoming and disadvantage of present day stoves lies in the generally low overall efficiency found in such. While as pointed out above, there have been improvements in some stove designs, many are designed to heat a relatively small area as contrasted to an entire dwelling or structure.
Also, another shortcoming of conventional stove designs is the fact that a substantial amount of the heat is lost through the exhausted flue gases.